Volare
by TheMoonclaw
Summary: "I'm not…like you. I'm not…human, Leo." - A oneshot about a strange little girl named Titania (Assumes you've read My Brother's Keeper) in-line with my 'verse. Read author's note!


_**Hey everyone!**_

 _ **I actually wrote this story a few months back; since it seems unlikely I will write any novel-length stories in the timeline after Shards of History, I wanted to clear everything up by the time it ended that at least didn't leave anything dangling. For the most part, that will happen, while still leaving things open enough to continue.**_

 _ **The only thing was Titania. Her story is a bit more complicated, and so I wrote this one-shot to at least explain it somewhat so people weren't left questioning.**_

 _ **If you've gotten this far and are utterly confused to what I'm talking about, then you might need to go read my other stories.**_

 _ **There are no "spoilers" in this so long as you've read my other stories, and nothing that is even remotely close to cannon but I honestly am beyond caring, soooooo enjoy!**_

* * *

"Leo…"

The boy scrunched his face up and buried his head further into his pillow. The annoying and unfamiliar voice was drawing him slowly but surely from the world of dreams.

"Leo,"

He moaned and curled into a tighter ball, but he knew it was useless. He was awake now, no matter how much he just wanted to sleep. The voice didn't continue right away, so he held onto the hope that it would go away and he could get back to dreaming.

"Leo?"

He sighed and blinked his eyes open, confusedly pushing himself up on his arms so he could gaze around the room. Now that he was awake, he realized that the feminine voice didn't sound like his mother or sister.

There was a figure standing near his window, silhouetted by moonlight. It was a little girl with what looked like fiery red hair and a long, flowing dress of pale colors.

Leo tipped his head to one side, "…Titania?"

She giggled softly and nodded, hands clutching at her dress.

"Titania!" he exclaimed happily, sitting upright, now wide awake. "What are you doing here? Wait…how did you get here?"

She pranced over, feet making no sound on the floor and stopped at the edge of his bed. "I didn't think you'd know me…"

Leo made a face. "That's silly. Of course I know you."

Titania smiled at him, "That's why I like you."

He beamed at her, feeling pleased with her praise but still somewhat confused. Last time he had seen Titania, they had just escaped from the Scorpion Gang with their other friends. It was right before his sister had found them that Titania had just up and vanished, leaving only a note behind.

It had been a little time since he'd seen her, but not _so long_ that he would have forgotten his friend.

Besides, he'd always wondered what had happened to her.

"What are you doing here?" Leo asked, leaning forward so he could see her better. "It's like…really late, and…how did you get into my room?"

She shyly diverted her gaze with her hands clutched nervously against her chest. "I…um…well…"

He continued to look at her, waiting for her to finish. She'd always been shy, but she seemed a little different, as if she was _extra_ shy for a different reason.

Finally she looked up and gave him a cautious look. "I…wanted to see you, but…I also need to tell you something, okay?"

"Okay," Leo said quickly, nodding.

Titania bit her bottom lip, "It's…sort of…weird."

"That's okay," Leo assured her, offering another smile. "I'm just really glad to see you. Whatever you want to tell me, I promise I'll listen."

The girl visibly relaxed and smiled slightly in reply. "After…after I tell you, I'll tell you how I got in here,"

"Okay, deal," Leo agreed, shifting to sit cross legged so he was more comfortable. He perched his chin on his hands, blinking the remaining sleep from his eyes as he waited.

His poor friend still looked distressed, and she snuck another glance at him before looking away. Her voice was soft when she spoke up next, her words, careful.

"I wanted to tell you before," Titania admitted. "But…I didn't know what you would say, and my aunts always told me people were bad…"

She peeked up at him again, lips pulling to a smile. "But, you seem really nice, and…I trust you."

Titania dropped her eyes to the floor and took a deep breath.

"I'm not…like you. I'm not…human, Leo."

He blinked, "What?"

She winced and closed her eyes. "I'm…I'm…"

Sensing that his friend was close to tears, Leo leaned forward and carefully touched her shoulder. She glanced up, startled.

"Titania," he whispered. "It's okay. Just…tell me, alright? I'm your friend, remember?"

The red headed girl trembled and Leo flinched, worried he'd only made things worse. But then she looked up and met his gaze, and he blinked, noticing for the first time her eyes.

Why hadn't he ever noticed them before?

The color, the intensity, the sheen of the otherworldly.

Magic.

Titania reached up and clasped his hand, removing it from her shoulder and holding it tightly as she whispered; "I'm part sylph."

Her form shimmered and he pulled back slightly as the light grew, coalescing on her back and transforming into the shape of wings. The wings were translucent, glittering with residue magic. They pierced from her back, well out behind her.

Once the light had faded, Titania stood, looking mostly how he was used to seeing her, but with golden eyes lit brightly, glitter on her cheeks and glorious butterfly like wings.

Leo stared, eyes wide and finally exhaled, breathing out a; "Whoa…"

Titania let go of his hand and laced her fingers together again, looking down at the ground. "I'm strange, aren't I?"

She withdrew into herself more, wings curling abnormally at the tips as if to show her pain.

Realizing he should say something, Leo quickly shook his head and reached out to touch her again before pulling his hand back. With the knowledge she was part Eidolon, it didn't seem like something he should do.

"Titania," he said, tipping his head to try and catch her eye. He smiled, "You're beautiful."

She looked up, eyes widening in surprise. "W-what?"

Leo smiled slowly and nodded. "Look at your wings! They're so cool! Wait, can you fly?"

She blinked rapidly at him and then gave him a once over. "You mean…you don't think I'm strange?"

"Well, sure you are, but so what?" Leo pointed out, shrugging. "My family is all weird. So what if your part sylph? That means your special."

Titania giggled, still staring at him cautiously. "Really?"

"Really." he assured her.

Finally she relaxed; her shoulders sagged, her hands fell to her sides, her wings perked up, but most importantly, she met his eyes without any shy head tilt.

"Thanks Leo…" she whispered.

Leo shrugged again, not sure what he'd done that deserved any thanks. He'd only told her the truth.

"So…can you fly?" he asked again. He was curious.

She shook her head, "Not really, not very good, anyway. My aunts think I might never be able too. Something about…um…adjusting forms or something, like they can…I didn't really get what they meant."

Leo made a face, "Sounds like adult stuff. Well, even if you can't fly, your wings are so cool!"

She giggled and turned hallway so he could see them. "You think so?"

"Yeah!" He paused and then made a face, "So, your aunts…the other sylphs? The ones my mom can summon?"

Titania nodded, "Mm hmm. They take care of me. But they warned me the Overworld is a dangerous place…"

"…Do they know you're here right now?" Leo asked.

She shuffled her feet. "Um…no?"

He chuckled and hopped over to sit on the edge of the bed to be closer to her. It was so dark he was having trouble seeing what face she was making. "That's okay. Sometimes I do stuff I'm not supposed to, too."

She sat next to him, "Like what?"

"Like…play with weapons," he admitted sheepishly. "Or sneak candy from the kitchens…"

Titania giggled and curled her hands in her lap. "I usually do what they tell me, but…I wanted to meet my father."

"I remember you told me that. But…you said he didn't think you were his daughter?" Leo said, frowning.

She nodded, "He didn't know my mother was…well, a sylph. I guess she never told him, and she never told him about me, and now she's gone and…well…"

"So…he's human?"

Titania nodded. "Yes."

Leo hesitated and then shrugged, "Well, his loss, 'cause you're pretty awesome."

The smile she gave him made him smile, too. "Thanks Leo."

He nodded and his eyes drifted to her wings again, amazed by how they hung in the air, like fabric, but see through like mist.

She noticed where his eyes went and flexed her shoulders, making the wings quiver. He leaned back, surprised, and she giggled.

Leo grinned at her, "What do they feel like?"

His friend appeared to think about it, placing a finger on her chin. "Hmm…like…having extra arms, but they don't grab anything."

He hesitated, "Can I…is it okay if I…touch them?"

Titania's eyes widened and she gave a tiny, timid nod, turning to the side so he could easily reach out.

Leo carefully stretched out a hand, only to stop and hesitate once more. It felt oddly personal to be touching her wings, no matter if he had her permission or not. Plus, she was part Eidolon, so he wondered if they should even be talking like this.

Then again, his sister was friendly with her Eidolons, so even if they were revered creatures, they weren't so different than humans, right?

His fingers grazed the upper edge of her wing and it twitched in response. He pulled back and darted a glance at her, but Titania just smiled and nodded, encouraging him to try again.

This time the wings didn't flicker, and he made a face, trying to decide what the texture under his hand felt like.

"It's like…" he began, grasping for words. "like…silk, but…like it's not all there."

Titania watched him and he grinned at her when he removed his hand. "My sister would probably say it felt 'incomprehensible',"

The red head giggled, but then she wiped around to look out the window. She gasped and hopped to her feet. "Oh! I have to go,"

Disappointed, Leo scrambled to his feet. "Already? Why?"

She turned back to him, golden eyes glowing in the darkened room. "I'm not part of this world, and it's not easy to travel between the two. There's…places like…tears in fabric, where you can slip through, but only sometimes."

"So," Leo said, catching on. "That's why you had to leave so quickly before?"

She nodded. "Yes, and that's how I got into your room. There's a place not far from here."

Titania smiled at him, "I'm glad I met you, Leo."

"But…" he stuttered. "When will I see you again?"

She dropped her eyes. "I…I…I'm not supposed to come here, I'm…not human."

He felt his heart clench and reached out to take her hands. "Your _part_ human, right? So…why can't you be in our world sometimes and the Feymarch sometimes?"

The girl hesitated and he continued to plead, worried that if he didn't he would never see his friend again. He liked her, a lot, and he didn't want this to be the last time he saw her.

"Please, Titania, there has to be a way that I can see you again…right?"

She blinked at him and squeezed his hands. "I…don't know. I can't stay here, my aunts…but…maybe I can come…visit sometimes?"

Leo perked up and nodded swinging their arms up and down, "Yes!"

She giggled and pulled free, hands grabbed her skirt to pull them up somewhat. "But not now! I have to get home!"

He nodded and followed her as she pattered to the door of his room. He grinned at her. "I'm glad you came here tonight, Titania."

She beamed at him, "Me too, Leo…"

They both hesitated and he ducked his head, muttering; "So…you promise I'll see you again?"

He felt her hand brush against his cheek and looked up to see her smile shyly at him. "Yes,"

Titania opened the door and slipped through the crack only to dart back inside and kiss him on the cheek. "I promise," she whispered into his ear.

Before he could register what had happened, she was gone with a rustle of clothing and ethereal wings.

Leo blinked once, twice, three times. He smiled slowly and gingerly reached up to touch his cheek.

Whether or not she was part sylph, he really liked Titania.

* * *

 _ **Author's note: GAH. Leo is so darn adorable...so is Titania...**_

 _ **Just to clear everything up:**_

 _ **So yes, Titania is half sylph, half human. Reed is her father, Arial is her mother.**_

 _ **Titania is the name of the queen of the fairies in "A Mid Summer's Night Dream" and Arial is the name of the sprite/pixie in "The Tempest" and Reed's last name, Fenton, is a character in...one of the plays I don't know muh about...ah yes, "Merry Wives of Windsor". Ha, look at me. I'm so clever...hehe**_

 _ **I'm sure some it's confusing how a sylph and a human can have a child, but remember that I have made (in an attempt to explain why Asura and Leviathan can look human for some reason,) that the Eidolons can take a human "avatar" form, which is separate from their magical "true" self. (Like Phoenix does,) So it's conceivable that a sylph could look like a normal woman.**_

 _ **I'm sorry if this story seems somewhat odd or out of place, but as I said, I really wanted to explain Titania's origins at least in past before concluding this 'verse.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoyed and found it adorable! I had fun writing it.**_

 _ **"Volare" is the Latin word for "Wing"**_

 _ **Also, am I heading straight over to my DA account to upload a concept/character design of Titania (older then in this fic, probably around 16) so you should for sure check that out, too! (My username is the same as on here, as is the profile picture)**_


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